And I couldn't help but think about how closely I felt with Phoenix18 because right now I am exhausted. Not exhausted like physically tired but I'm exhausted of my freaking life and all the sh!t I've been trying to do just to get better at basketball.

For the last year I've done NOTHING but try and improve my game. You know those stories about NBA players stopping hanging out and stuff? I cut off all hanging out, stopped playing any kind of video games, dropped reading and spent all my free time on the court. I blew out countless hours in the weight room and spent hours online trying to watch tapes of other players and workouts and advice from others trying to learn a few things. I stopped eating the stuff I liked and devoted myself to eating whole grains and low fat yogurts and stuffing myself with protein when I needed to gain weight.

I'm just tired. I've gotten up and hit the gym at 5:30 over the summer before my classes which I have to take. As soon as the classes were over, I'd go right back to another gym.

And yet, I'm still the same player I always was. People tell me I've gotten better, but I'm the same. I have the most inconsistent shot in the town and I choke during pressure. I've been cut from every team I ever tried out for and haven't played organized basketball since 6th grade.

And the worst part of it all is I can't stop. Everyday I keep hitting the gym/courts and do my thing hoping someday I'll improve. Everyone thinks I'll never get anywhere. I'm always hearing how I'm too short, too slow, too weak, can't shoot over and over again. I'm 16 and have less than 2 years to give it all I got. They tell me to "be realistic" when I tell them I want to play basketball in college. They said it's never happening.

That's why I keep going. I'm out to finish what I started but every time I airball a shot in that empty gym by myself the pain drives me crazy.

I sound like a b!tch but I'm just venting. Nothing is going for me right now.

Venom

07-20-2010 10:51 PM

Re: I can't do it

I know what you mean. I've been drilling pretty hard and was devastated when I got cut from my high school team. I'm going to try again this year, and if I don't make it, basketball isn't going to be more than just a hobby for me.

Rake2204

07-21-2010 12:18 AM

Re: I can't do it

It sounds like you are burnt out.

There are certainly stories of successful basketball players making sacrifices, but that does not mean it's going to work for you. It sort of feels like you're putting all your eggs in one basket. You entirely rid of a lot of things for basketball. Now it seems if you continue down this path and basketball does not work out, there won't be much else left. I don't want to make false assumptions, but your sacrifices seem so extreme that I'm not quite sure if you're being serious or if this is just a hypothetical scenario. Honestly, you quit reading?

I always interpretted the ol' "Not going out with friends" legend as meaning ballplayers cut back and/or eliminated the party aspect of friendships (drinking, drugs, frequent late nights). I never really got the feeling it meant ridding of friends or not hanging out with someone altogether.

I subscribe to the Rip Hamilton school of thought. That is, he has always stressed that working out for basketball is about how hard you go, not how long. If a player is pouring in 8 hours of basketball per day, there's a real good chance that's not all quality basketball. Just as Hamilton insists he'll only run a few miles per day (but will truly "run" them) he also says his practice times are short but intense. Perhaps an hour at a time. As such, the removal of video games, friends, and reading is not really necessary.

I think the food situation is a little different. I know a lot of healthy foods that taste horribly. However, the trick is trying to find some healthy foods that can substitute unhealthy foods in terms of taste and whatnot. Sometimes it just takes an adjustment period. Further, not everything must be healthy. There's room for some creative freedom.

On top of everything else, I'd trust the word of others in this case when they tell you you've improved. I've often felt improving in basketball is kind of like hair growth. You don't notice the change on a day to day basis but if were to compare your hair progress months ago to where it's at now, there'd be a drastic difference.

You say you have two years left to make it happen but truly, basketball is something you can use for the rest of your life. Even outside of organized ball, striving to improve and add to your game is still a heck of a lot of fun. At some point your organized career will end, but basketball will still be all around you. People play pick-up basketball every single day. It's a unique sport in that respect. Striving to improve can help you in your rest-of-my-life game as well as the short term game.

But above all, sometimes you just need a break.

Birmingham1955

07-21-2010 12:47 AM

Re: I can't do it

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rake2204

It sounds like you are burnt out.

There are certainly stories of successful basketball players making sacrifices, but that does not mean it's going to work for you. It sort of feels like you're putting all your eggs in one basket. You entirely rid of a lot of things for basketball. Now it seems if you continue down this path and basketball does not work out, there won't be much else left. I don't want to make false assumptions, but your sacrifices seem so extreme that I'm not quite sure if you're being serious or if this is just a hypothetical scenario. Honestly, you quit reading?

I always interpretted the ol' "Not going out with friends" legend as meaning ballplayers cut back and/or eliminated the party aspect of friendships (drinking, drugs, frequent late nights). I never really got the feeling it meant ridding of friends or not hanging out with someone altogether.

I subscribe to the Rip Hamilton school of thought. That is, he has always stressed that working out for basketball is about how hard you go, not how long. If a player is pouring in 8 hours of basketball per day, there's a real good chance that's not all quality basketball. Just as Hamilton insists he'll only run a few miles per day (but will truly "run" them) he also says his practice times are short but intense. Perhaps an hour at a time. As such, the removal of video games, friends, and reading is not really necessary.

I think the food situation is a little different. I know a lot of healthy foods that taste horribly. However, the trick is trying to find some healthy foods that can substitute unhealthy foods in terms of taste and whatnot. Sometimes it just takes an adjustment period. Further, not everything must be healthy. There's room for some creative freedom.

On top of everything else, I'd trust the word of others in this case when they tell you you've improved. I've often felt improving in basketball is kind of like hair growth. You don't notice the change on a day to day basis but if were to compare your hair progress months ago to where it's at now, there'd be a drastic difference.

You say you have two years left to make it happen but truly, basketball is something you can use for the rest of your life. Even outside of organized ball, striving to improve and add to your game is still a heck of a lot of fun. At some point your organized career will end, but basketball will still be all around you. People play pick-up basketball every single day. It's a unique sport in that respect. Striving to improve can help you in your rest-of-my-life game as well as the short term game.

But above all, sometimes you just need a break.

Rip is a natural baller, so is AI 1 hour is too little, way too on the court. I do believe in quality over quantiny,however 1 hour too little. If you are spending 5 hours at the gym you better be going hard for those 5 hours at game speed.

It seems that your half assing your workouts op. You need to get a trainer to push you, you have the drive now all you need is someone to push you.

Rake2204

07-21-2010 01:07 AM

Re: I can't do it

Quote:

Originally Posted by Birmingham1955

Rip is a natural baller, so is AI 1 hour is too little, way too on the court. I do believe in quality over quantiny,however 1 hour too little. If you are spending 5 hours at the gym you better be going hard for those 5 hours at game speed.

It seems that your half assing your workouts op. You need to get a trainer to push you, you have the drive now all you need is someone to push you.

For the sake of clarification I meant that Rip might go hard for an hour and then rest, before beginning up again. But I think we're both on the same wavelength as is. Quality does indeed trump quantity and for most everyone, an hour is not going to get the job done.

A trainer would be a great idea but one is sometimes hard to come up with. Some other options might include a coach at any level within your program or even a fellow player. Sometimes, no matter how much self discipline one has on their own, it seems there's always more that can be extracted from having a partner, observer or helper.

Again, without knowing all the specifics of the situation at hand, I think another good thing to remember is hard work is going to be mostly meaningless if it's the wrong work. That is, if your J still feels broken, you might want to reevaluate if the form you're practicing is actually sound form. In the absence of a coach or reliable firsthand source, I actually suggest recording your shot on a videocamera and disecting the footage later. Many players are surprised with how their shot looks in comparison to how they think it looks.

623baller

07-21-2010 02:15 AM

Re: I can't do it

couple tips for you

try to get in on an organized team and play under a coach, you'll learn much more through practices and simulation of real-game situations, also it will help you improve on the fundamentals and knowledge of the game

to be honest, if the only type of game you can get going are pick ups, then you probably are not and wont be playing at a high level since the street games can vary vastly base on who you are playing against or with. i would say try to get in and play some tournaments or rec leagues if you can. regulation games are very different from local pick ups. the best way to beat pressure is play under pressure and gain that experience, that's probably the hardest thing to simulate in practice.

to echo Rake's points, you want to work out and train smart, just to exaggerate a bit, spending 8 hours in the gym everyday doesnt mean you are getting better physically or improving your game. i would say it probably hurts your game because you are probably over stressing it.

looks like you got strong work ethics but just need to work on the right stuff

16 is still pretty young, realistically you gota make varsity this year or next assuming you are entering your jr year after the summer, then you'll get some exposure if you want to get in on a college program.

if you truly want to get better then i would do the following

#1 get a weight trainer - someone that knows his/her stuff so you are working out correctly to build the right body size for whatever position you want to play
#2 get a skills trainer or a coach - someone that can teach you the fundamentals and prep you for a real game. the best way to do that is to get on a legit team , some stuff cant really be practiced alone
#3 have your trainer /coach do an assessment on you, they'll tell you what you need to improve as a player and make a plan for oyu
#4 take a short break, take a week or two off and just rest. it's a mental sport, over stressing yourself is not a good way to train for bball.

if you havent played organized bball since 6th grade, then i assume you probably dont have much knowledge about playing organized bball that's probably why you are getting cut from try outs. in general, i think coaches just look for someone that understands the game (when to pass, boxes out, cuts at the right time, set screens....etc), and shows the ability to play defense (contest a shot without over playing, stays in front of a defender...etc) and hustles at all time. i see none or very little of those attributes in most people that only play street games.

anyways , i think you still got tons of time left, but you need to know how to get there the right way and start changing what you are doing because it probably is not working (of course my post is really base on what you stated in your post, i could be wrong)

Swaggin916

07-21-2010 02:48 AM

Re: I can't do it

Everybody needs a certain amount of balance in their life. Honestly you should be going as hard as you can for 90 minutes 3 days week or so and then doing some light stuff the other days... you should be feeling like you got such a good workout that you can't even think about bball for the rest of the day (or at least you don't feel like playing anymore). You also have to think about how helping yourself improve athletically is going to help you game too and we have talked about this... getting in the gym and getting your ass sore for 2-3 days so you can't even ball.

So you have 2 days where you really get after it... and then legs where you hit them hard in the gym... but you also have time to recuperate. Athletically speaking, you will be in a better position if you allow your body to recover rather than just going hard every day. Ok now in terms of playing ball... if a game presents itself while you doing your hardcore workout... then play the game (can't turn down game experience) but set your ego aside and work on the shit you want to work on in the game and make sure you are going hard too. On the lighter days... maybe not go as hard when you play... take it easy a little bit... slow your game down and try to do some different things but not be a hero.

Hell I don't know, all of that sounds good in theory... but it's hard to just practice and expect to be better in games, and it's hard to just play games and get a whole lot better. Both are necessary. Just try to find that balance man and your life will be straight. Don't get too down the sun will rise.

devin112

07-21-2010 03:10 AM

Re: I can't do it

Every time you got cut you should have asked the coach what you need to work on and HOW to fix your game. You really need direction and guidance. If you don't make the team, volunteer to keep stats do whatever it takes to be around the team and coach. Ask questions, watch and learn.

W/ shooting, if you don't want to practice forever and ever then start from scratch and develop a fundamentally sound shot- that way you can keep it consistent and trouble shoot your shot when it's off. If you're shot isn't fundamentally sound, then you're going to have to invest a lot of time to get it consistent and trouble shooting will be hard.

carpevicis

07-21-2010 06:59 AM

Re: I can't do it

Thanks, I appreciate the help and I've been looking for ways to train smarter but I'm trying to use the resources around me.

There isn't anyone else I know of in this town that wants to put in work over the summer. For months I've been looking for someone who practices daily and really wants to get better. But in the heat, everyone just wants to chill. And I don't mean like play pickup chill, but like forget about basketball chill. The outdoor courts are completely empty everyday, there is not a simple person there. The pool right next to it is overflowing with wait lines.

Our town's recreation center, which I go to, is also deserted. The weight room occasionally has some kids come in but they're just lifting.

I haven't seen any other kids from my town play ball since the school year. We don't have any legit kinds of personal training so I'm on my own.

And here are the last reasons I can remember that I was cut from my teams:

8th grade: I was too short. At least that's what the coach told me, he said I he had too many guards and that I didn't have a place on the team. What's worse is that he led the team to a 0-12 record. The guy wasn't even really a full time coach, he was part time guidance counselor.

9th grade: Too small. Same deal, too many guards.

10th grade: I took a break and hit the weight room to get stronger.

11th grade: Hasn't been written yet.

Rake2204

07-21-2010 01:41 PM

Re: I can't do it

Do you have any means of finding competition outside of your city? Coming from a relatively small town myself, I too can relate to the empty parks. Oftentimes I had to head to the nearest semi-large city to find competition. I found AAU clubs to join. I would have a friend or my mom drive me to athletic centers (whenever I could coerce them) 20-30 minutes away just to play in some open gyms or summer squads. There was no way I could find a means of getting to those centers every single day, but I tried to hit them up when possible. I understand sometimes you just have to make do with your set of circumstances, you just want to ensure you explore all your options to the fullest.

And just as a random extra bit of knowledge, I saw you mention the 8th grade coach not being a "full time coach", being he was a guidence counselor in addition. I say this in a nice "so now you know" way, but rarely will an 8th grade middle school coach be a full-time "this is my only job" coach. Unless by not full time you meant he only coached like 20% of his teams' games and practices. Otherwise, $1,500 is not going to be enough for anyone to coach without having a real job.

Swaggin916

07-21-2010 01:55 PM

Re: I can't do it

There has to be somebody around town that has balled in the past and can teach you... just put in the work and look around. If your parents don't want to pay for a trainer... then you might have to think about getting a job to pay for it yourself if it's important enough to you. I'm sure a trainer will come out and pick you up too if you provide them with a little extra money for gas and the time it takes to pick you up too if you can't get a ride to where they will train you. There are literally so many options out there man.

iamgine

07-21-2010 02:55 PM

Re: I can't do it

I can't understand why some people can't shoot. If you have the correct technique and you practice it, you should be able to shoot. Even girls can shoot. If you can spot up shoot and play decent defense, there's always a place for you on any team. If you aren't blessed with great physique, just practice your shot. Practice until you can make it blindfolded. Watch women basketball and watch their shooting form and follow it.

Jason Kapono played no defense and didn't even know how to fake and he got to the NBA just by being a great shooter.

carpevicis

07-21-2010 03:34 PM

Re: I can't do it

Yeah I'll try and see if there's people in the gym nearby who can help me out. I occasionally go to the Celtics practice facility but my parents hate driving me because of the distance (it's only like the next town over).

Swaggin, I'm looking for cheaper ways to improve so I'll definitely talk to the trainers there. Many of people there play college ball or even one guy who's supposedly playing pro in Germany. I just have to fund it myself because my parents don't think basketball is something I can go on in life with. I picked up a good paying job in the weight room in my local rec center, it pays well and I get to lift for free.

But yeah, I just don't know if anyone wants to teach me in their free time. I'll definitely look into it though.

1manfastbreak

07-21-2010 03:55 PM

Re: I can't do it

its all in your head bruh. if your mental game is thrown off it doesn't matter how strong/good you are. cutting off all relationships and things like that is not a good idea, good relationships can help you keep a positive mental state.

remember the saying.. "basketball is 90% mental.." you could get all the coaches and do all the weight lifting/skill training and you will still never accomplish anything because you have all of this negativity in your head. your brain is the strongest muscle in your body, so first you need to get that back on the right track. take a couple weeks off, hand out with some friends, go out on a date, get some shit to look forward to. basketball is a game and you have to enjoy playing it. its not a job.. its a game.

Swaggin916

07-21-2010 05:38 PM

Re: I can't do it

Quote:

Originally Posted by carpevicis

Yeah I'll try and see if there's people in the gym nearby who can help me out. I occasionally go to the Celtics practice facility but my parents hate driving me because of the distance (it's only like the next town over).

Swaggin, I'm looking for cheaper ways to improve so I'll definitely talk to the trainers there. Many of people there play college ball or even one guy who's supposedly playing pro in Germany. I just have to fund it myself because my parents don't think basketball is something I can go on in life with. I picked up a good paying job in the weight room in my local rec center, it pays well and I get to lift for free.

But yeah, I just don't know if anyone wants to teach me in their free time. I'll definitely look into it though.

somebody will teach you if you pay them... so yea it might take some of your own money if your parents aren't willing to help you (which is too bad...), but hey if it's worth enough to you then you'll do it. You might as well give it a go man you only live once. Just keep working on your mental game like the above poster said tho... I know I have to work on mine too. There are times where I just feel like things suck too... but it doesn't feel good (as you know) so try to change that.